by Elizabeth Nielson
More than 100 people attended the Akron Stake’s second annual Family History Fair on Saturday, October 14, doubling the number that attended last year.
Of those participating, 43 were not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They had learned of the event through newspaper ads, Facebook, or through other genealogical organizations in the region.
“This is such a testimony of how important this work is for not just members of the Church but for so many others who want to learn about their ancestors,” said Sister Jeanne Peugh, director of the Family History Center and the organizer of the fair. “The Spirit of Elijah is strong in the hearts of many and this gives us an opportunity to reach out and help.”
The Family History Fair featured nine rotating classes, with topics such as DNA Research, African American Records, Using Family Search, and Comparing Giants—a class about the major genealogy search engines.
Half of the presenters came from outside the Akron Stake, having been invited because of their expertise in the field of genealogy. One presenter traveled from the Toledo area. “The speakers are top notch,” said President Talley. “It really is an excellent conference.”
Brother Jim Kemple of the Canton Ward agrees with that sentiment. “The presenters were excellent,” he said. “I went to the fair hoping to learn a few things and I was not disappointed. I attended both classes on DNA and came away with much more than I already knew.”
Sister Diane Burgoon, also of the Canton Ward, wasn’t sure she would learn a lot from the fair but was happily surprised. “The classes were just what I needed to keep up with the changes in technology, and I couldn’t wait to get home and put what I learned into practice,” she said.
Next year’s fair will likely also take place in October. The goal of the Public Affairs Committee and the Family History Center is to keep up the professional level of presentations while increasing the number of attendees again by two.
Akron Ohio Stake News 